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I did my PhD in that area, building the first working superconducting quantum processor (working in the sense of showing quantum speed up, although practically
by ThePhysicist 2y ago
I did my PhD in that area, building the first working superconducting quantum processor (working in the sense of showing quantum speed up, although practically useless of course). That was one of the most fun things I did my entire life, I basically could work on all of the aspects of the computer from the cryostat, the microwave setup, control electronics, PCB manufacturing, chip design and fabrication, soldering, measurement software (written in Python and C++) to doing quantum theory calculations and analysing and visualising data. Nothing I did in my software career ever came close to that level of satisfaction (though there was also a ton of frustration involved).
So yeah I would be happy to work in that area again, though today there aren't that many well paying jobs there yet so I would take a big pay cut if doing that work, but if I wouldn't need to worry about money I would definitely work in that area again.
- imbusy111 2y agoWhat a fascinating project you must have had! I've been studying quantum mechanics/computing myself a lot lately. I wonder, if there is anything practical I can try doing at home.
- condensedcrab 2y agoQuantum optics experiments are probably the most accessible for garage hobbyists but it’s still a ~$k hobby once you start buying lasers, electronics and optics.
- badosu 2y agoI remember a very simple experimental setup we did at my initial physics class, my university at the time was in construction (we didn't have equipped labs), with a result similar to the two slit experiment by shining a cheap laser at an angle on a cd/dvd. Something like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Physics/comments/paqnya/doubleslit_experiment_at_home/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Physics/comments/paqnya/doubleslit_...
- tippytippytango 2y agoI had the same experience, it was very fun, but makes it extremely difficult to get excited for corporate career goals after doing something like that.
- fastneutron 2y ago> there aren't that many well paying jobs The irony here is that if you look at the job postings of quantum hardware vendors, they ask for a laundry list of skills that only a small handful of people on Earth realistically possess (you included). People are given the impression that there's this outsized demand for Qiskit jockeys, when in reality, what we're currently calling quantum computers are basically physics experiments with the cables cleaned up and hidden in a cabinet. The results you get from these things are tightly coupled to their hardware implementation, and you need people who can work, or at least think, up and down the full stack to get even scientifically useful results. Same goes for quantum sensors, networks, and other so-called adjacent technologies.
- exe34 2y agoHey, would you be willing to link to your dissertation?
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- ThePhysicist 2y agohttps://theses.hal.science/file/index/docid/857654/filename/thesis_Dewes_web.pdf https://theses.hal.science/file/index/docid/857654/filename/...
- exe34 2y agobrilliant thank you!
- grepLeigh 2y agoIf money weren't an object, which labs or lines of research would be the most interesting to you? Do you have strong personal preferences between university/academic research, national labs, and private/startup research roles? Back to the reality where money is a real factor, what was the difference in compensation like? Was it like a 10x difference or closer to 2x? I'm asking because I'm a software engineer/founder, but I stepped back from my career due to burnout. I went back to college to study physics and geek out on quantum computing, but I know it'll take grad school (likely a PhD plus postdoc) to grok the full stack. Trying to get a sense of what might be ahead of me.